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Postpartum Depression?
letter Postpartum Depression? I am a librarian in a large regional school of nursing in this state, and read each issue of your journal with great interest. I don’t know if the following personal experience would be of interest to your researchers. I have never seen this referred to, and thought i t might occur in other women postpartum, but had never been considered. I have four children, the eldest of whom is a son, now aged 37. When he was born, I was just over 21, living in a rural community. I gave birth in a small community hospital. I had a healthy and normal pregnancy, studied u p on the (then) new ideas of natural childbirth, and had a spontaneous delivery of a large (nine pounds), healthy baby. During my preg-
nancy, I felt no strong preferences to deliver either a boy o r girl, though I was aware that both my husband and my father had high hopes of a boy. However, names for either sex were selected, and plans and discussions involved a “him” or “her.” Perhaps I kept my options too open! Although I was delighted with my beautiful, healthy son, for several days after his birth I experienced what I now recognize as a definite grieving for the daughter I didn’t have. At one time I mentioned to my husband that I felt as if Deborah (the name chosen for a girl) had died, but he had no understanding of this, and I spoke of it to no one else. I went on to have a second son, then two daughters, the first of whom has Down’s Syndrome, but that is irrelevant. I’m not aware of experiencing the same feeling of loss after the other births. and I
wonder if it is more common with a first baby. Possibly you will not consider this anecdote of interest or importance, but when I read some of the articles and research reports in your journal, I wonder if a reaction such as mine is common but unrecognized and could form a basis for a mild postpartum depression. MERLED. HALL Bendingo, Australia J O C N N editorial staff welcome readers’ comments. Anyone interested in publishing a letter to the editor, should write to Editor, J O C N N , 409 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024-2191. All letters should be short, to the point, and signed by the author. Letters will be published a t t h e editor’s discretion, and J O G N N reserves the right to edit all letters.
NEONATAL MANUSCRIPTS SOUGHT
JOGNN welcomes the chance to review clinical and research manuscripts on the following topics. Neonatal Intensive Care Drug Therapy Update Adoption Narcotic-Addicted Infants Hyaline Membrane Disease Fever in the Neonate Cardiac Catheterization in the Neonate Neonatal Emergencies Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Trends in Neonatal Technology Thermoregulation Ventilatory Care of t h e Neonate For more topic information and author guidelines, write to JOGNN Editor, 409 12th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20024-21 91.
360
September/October 1989 JOCNN
nancy, I felt no strong preferences to deliver either a boy o r girl, though I was aware that both my husband and my father had high hopes of a boy. However, names for either sex were selected, and plans and discussions involved a “him” or “her.” Perhaps I kept my options too open! Although I was delighted with my beautiful, healthy son, for several days after his birth I experienced what I now recognize as a definite grieving for the daughter I didn’t have. At one time I mentioned to my husband that I felt as if Deborah (the name chosen for a girl) had died, but he had no understanding of this, and I spoke of it to no one else. I went on to have a second son, then two daughters, the first of whom has Down’s Syndrome, but that is irrelevant. I’m not aware of experiencing the same feeling of loss after the other births. and I
wonder if it is more common with a first baby. Possibly you will not consider this anecdote of interest or importance, but when I read some of the articles and research reports in your journal, I wonder if a reaction such as mine is common but unrecognized and could form a basis for a mild postpartum depression. MERLED. HALL Bendingo, Australia J O C N N editorial staff welcome readers’ comments. Anyone interested in publishing a letter to the editor, should write to Editor, J O C N N , 409 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024-2191. All letters should be short, to the point, and signed by the author. Letters will be published a t t h e editor’s discretion, and J O G N N reserves the right to edit all letters.
NEONATAL MANUSCRIPTS SOUGHT
JOGNN welcomes the chance to review clinical and research manuscripts on the following topics. Neonatal Intensive Care Drug Therapy Update Adoption Narcotic-Addicted Infants Hyaline Membrane Disease Fever in the Neonate Cardiac Catheterization in the Neonate Neonatal Emergencies Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Trends in Neonatal Technology Thermoregulation Ventilatory Care of t h e Neonate For more topic information and author guidelines, write to JOGNN Editor, 409 12th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20024-21 91.
360
September/October 1989 JOCNN